Improvement in seeding-machines



J. ANDREWS.

y Grain-Drin.

'Na 24,980. vPatented Aug. 9, 1859 A m 0' a 6 Z M n-m 'y y :1" y" y yUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEEDING-MACHINES.

vSpecification forming part of Letters Patent No. 24,980, dated August9, 1859.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, JOHN ANDREWS, of Clinton, iny the county ofWorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in a Combined Harrow and Grain- S0wer5 and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsmaking a partof this specification, in which- A Figure 1 represents a plan of myimproved combined harrow and grairrsower; Fig. 2, a side elevation ot'the same, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal vertical section taken on the redline A' B Fig. 4, a rear end elevation.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the 'lgures .In `theabovementioned drawings, a a a represent the two side or bed pieces andthe crosspiece on the front of the harrow.

b b b, &c., represent a series ot'joist or rectangular blocks arrangedparallel with each other, so as nearly to till the space between the twoside or bed pieces ct a a. The blocks b b b are not brought close toeach other, but are placed a short distance apart, and are made nearlythe length ot the side lor bed pieces a a, leaving a space between thecrosspiece a. on the i'ront of the harrow andthe ends -of the blocks b bb.

c represents a rod or bar of iron passing through holes made in thefront end ofthe blocks b b b, and is fastened to the side or bed piecesa a., by which means the rear ends of the blocks b b b are left free torise and fall in order to adapt themselves to the uneven surface ofthesoil, as will be more fully shown hereinafter.

d represents a bar running across the rear end of the blocks b b b.

e e e represent bolts having large heads. These are made to pass downthrough holes in the bar d large enough to admit ot' their Zvrlljingeasily, and are secured to the blocks The under side of the side or bedpieces a aJ and of the blocks b b b are cut away at their rear end, nearWhere the teeth are secured to the blocks b b b, to about onehalf of thedepth of the wood. This is done for the purpose of allowing the soil asit is turned up by the harrow-teeth to remain light and not to bepressed down by the bed of the barrow, as is done by other harrows.

j'f represent the barrow-teeth. These are made similar in form t0 thecommon cultivator-teeth, with the exception that they are made broaderat their rear end, and their front edges,'from the point ot' the toothto the urider side ot' the blocks b b b, are made sharp, like the edgeot' a plow. They are also provided with slots extending about one-haltot' the distance from the point of the tooth to where it is secured tothe blocks b b b.

g g represent circular plates of iron or steel,`

slots in the barrow-teeth f f, the advantages of which are as follows:First, everything tending to dull or injure the edge of the harrow-teethis warded oii from their points, so that the wear is brought always onthe side of the harrow-teeth, thereby making the harrowteethselfisharpening, secondly, the plates g g will mount up onto everysubstance which may come in their Way-such as stalks, sticks, Std-andeither cut them oft' and press them into the ground, or it immediatelylifts the block b, and the barrow-tooth f passes over the substance,thus making the harrow selfclearing; thirdly, the plates g g are madethe agents in sowing or distributing the seed, as will be explainedhereinafter.

h represents a short draft-beam attached to the bar ar, and is made irinand secure by the braces i i.

j represents a draft-evener, to which the team is hitched.

7c represents afoot-board, on which the driver places his feet.

Z represents an apron attached to the crosshar d on the rear end of theharrow for the purpose of smoothing the furrows made by thebarrow-teeth, and for coveringsuch substances as are partially coveredand pressed into the ground by the Weight of the plates g g and blocks bb b.

Having described the barrow, I will now proceed to describe thegrain-sower and its connections with said barrow.

m represents a hopper, in which is placed the grain to be sown. This ismade narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, and extends the wholewidth of the barrow, the center of which is'placed a little in front ofthe space between the cross-bar a on the front of the barrow and theblocks b b b. It is also elevated a little above the harrow, as is seenby the drawings.

n represents an apron extending the entire length of the hopper m. It isattached to the bottom of the hopper,on the front edge there-` of, andis bent or curved,in the manner shown by the drawings, to the back edgeofthe crossbar a, for the purpose of spreading and conducting the seedas it falls from the hopper m, through the space or aperture beforementioned between the cross-bar a and the blocks b b b, to the ground.

0 o 0 represent the partitions or divisionsinto which the hopper m isdivided. These 1inin gs or partitions are madein an inverted conical orbell-shaped manner, and are provided with holes or openings in thebottoms thereof for the seed to pass through.

p p p represent a series of slides that move back and forth for thepurpose ot' receiving and discharging the seed, which is donein thefollowing manner: In the center ot each slide I make an opening which Icall a cup, and inV which may be placed thimbles or followers to enlargeor contract the cups for the purpose of varying the quantity of seedrequired to 'be sown.

g g g reprcsentrods with large heads. These are passed through holesmade in the front side of the hopper m, and are attached to the end ofthe slidesppp. They are also wound with a spiral spring, s s s.

t tt represent rods passing through holes made inthe back side of thehopper fm, and attached to the opposite ends ofthe slides ppp.

u u u represent rods or levers having arms extending therefrom nearly atright angles. These rods or levers are attached to the blocks b b b, andwork on studs or pins a little in the rear of the circular plates g g.

c a `represent pins or starts projecting from the side ot' the circularplatesg g. When the machine is put in motion the plates g g are ina-deto revolve, carrying the starts or pins c "0. These act upon thearmofthe lever u, throw ing the upper end of the lever back. This in turncauses the rope or cord i" to act upon the slide p, bringing the cupunder the hole in the hopper m. Hereitislled with seed. The arm of thelever u being now disengaged from the starts or pins v 0, the spring sbrings the slide p forward, when the cup is emptied of its coptents, theseed or grain falling upon the apron u, and passing thencethrough thehole oraperture to the ground.

w w represent stands rising from the sideor bed pieces a a, a little inthe rear of the hopperm. The stands ww support a beam or shaft,

which in turn supports the lever The lever mextends from the front ofthe hopper m to the rear end ofthe barrow. The rear end of the lever .fris connected with the bar d by means of a rod, y, the advantages ot'which are the teeth of the harrow are easier raised above the bed of theharrow for the purpose of clearing them, and in taking the machine toand from the field.

z z z represent wheels, one ot' which, with a swivel-bearing, is placedunder the draft-beam h, and one at each rear end of the side or bedpieces a a, the object ot' which is to prevent the side or bed pieces aa from dragging on the ground When the machine is not in operation, alsoto facilitate in the transporting and in the working of the machine. Theharrow maybe used separate from the gra-in-sower by disconnecting thecords i i.

Having described the several parts of myinvention and pointed out someof the advantages to be derived therefrom, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The arrangement and combination ofthe blocks b, circular plates g,teeth f, levers u, and seed-slidesp, substantially as herein shown anddescribed.

2. The arrangement and combination of the covering apron, l, bar d,block b, rod y, and lever x, as herein shown and described.

Clinton, January 7, 1859.

JOHN ANDREWS. i

Witnesses:

J osHUA THrssELL, Jr., G. YORKE AT LEE.

